A Prince of Asgard
by Tears and Rain
Summary: AU! Laufey treasures his son more than anything else. But when Odin demands that he give him up, under the false accusation that Laufey murdered the All Father's daughter in order to save all of Jotunheim from destruction, he must. Good!Laufey, Bad!Odin (what's new?) Good!Frigga Jerk!Thor... Yep! Looks like we've got the usual! FIRST CHAPTER TO BE REPAIRED! Just give me some time.
1. Prologue

**A/N: ****AU! Yay! ****But first...**

**I own nothing.**

**And this is more of a _Thor_ story at this point, but I'm putting it in the _Avengers_ category because I may bring them in at a later point. I'm not sure yet... :)**

**Word Count: 1,056**

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**A few years ago, Laufey's wife (barren and of an arranged marriage) died and he became lonely. Fancying no one is Jotunheim, he traveled to Asgard (under disguise) and met an Aesir named Glaudi. Unknown to him, she was King Odin's daughter. Unknown to her, he was the king of Jotunheim. They fell in love. They carried on an affair for quite a while, happier than either had been in a very long time.**

**Eventually, though, Glaudi admitted that she was pregnant with his child. Laufey panicked, knowing that she could not naturally survive carrying a Jotun child. He had to tell her. She loved him so accepted him and he asked her to move to Jotunheim with him. She refused and had to tell him of her status in royalty. After less than a month, though, the baby was showing and she needed to leave, so Laufey took her.**

**But since the baby was half Jotun, he grew twice as quick as an Aesir baby. Glaudi carried him almost three months before he was the size of a newborn Aesir babe. They brought Glaudi's labor early and she died during the birth of a healthy boy. Laufey named the baby Loki and mourned the death of his lover.**

**Now, here's the thing. When a princess goes missing, everyone panics. Especially the bad-tempered dad named Odin. Eager to point fingers, Odin proclaimed his daughter dead and accused the Jotuns of kidnapping her. He brought war down upon them with no hesitation. Soon enough, Jotunheim was in ruins and chaos was everywhere...**

Laufey held on tight to his child as the walls shook around him. Odin was winning the battle, and he was almost in the castle. So many good men and women had been killed, and now their children would be too. Loki began to cry loudly as a loud explosion took up a few rooms away. Laufey tried to comfort his son, desperately as footsteps pounded closer. Holding his baby close to his chest, Laufey knew that there was nothing he could do but wait for his enemies to come.

Finally they did. The door was torn down and kicked in, and well over a dozen soldiers crowded into the small room, pointing their spears and swords at him and his child. They seemed confused at what they say; King Laufey cradling a Frost Giant runt with more care and tenderness than considered possible, but then _he_ walked in, Odin, King of Asgard, All Father, the being responsible for the destruction of Jotunheim. "Laufey," he greeted with mock-friendliness. "Why weren't you there to greet me at the door?"

A few men chuckled, but Laufey tried to back away, causing them to advance slightly with their weapons in hand. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I've come for vengeance. You killed my daughter. Now you pay."

"I did no such thing! We were living in peace. There was no reason for me to destroy that!"

"But you did!" Odin raised his voice. "For some reason I do not know. But this I do know: You will pay with your life and the bloodshed of your people."_  
_

"Wait!" Laufey cried as Odin raised his spear and the voice stayed his hand. "Please. _Please_ spare who you will."

"Like who?" Odin sneered. "That runt you hold?"

"Yes," Laufey whispered, looking fondly down at his still softly crying son. "Like him. He has done nothing," his voice hardened as he looked up at Odin again, "to receive death, or even pain. No one has but me." He thought that if someone had to take responsibility for Glaudi's death, it would be him. "Spare those who are left and do with me as you will."

A few soldiers shifted their positions, trying to figure out why Laufey, the barbaric king of Frost Giants and was begging for his peoples' safety, and most of all, a deformed child who could only have been a bastard if it was his. Odin also pondered over what Laufey was asking. This child must mean much to him for him to bargain his own life. "What importance has this babe in your eyes?"

"Innocent blood should not be spilled."

"_Who's_ innocent blood, though?" Odin asked. "What relation does this...creature have to you?" Laufey hesitated. Nothing good would come of Odin knowing that he had an heir. The moment of silence was enough confirmation to Odin's suspicions and he took a large step forward and Laufey felt a blade against his back when he inches back. "He's your son, isn't he?" The smaller king grinned.

Laufey swallowed. "Spare him, please. Loki is-"

"Yes, I think I will." Odin stepped forward and caressed Loki's head. Laufey had to bite his tongue and hold his breath to keep from smacking the tan hand away. He pulled back, even into the blade behind him and letting it cut his skin when Loki started to change. His skin became the color of the Aesir and his eyes turned a grey-blue.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, humbleness forgotten.

"I am changing him, so that he may blend in easier," Odin replied as if it was simply obvious.

"You're _what?_" Laufey's stomach dropped and he pulled Loki closer to him, almost forgetting to be extra gentle. This couldn't be happening...

"I am doing as you requested; sparing all I will. You and your people may stay here, safe and sound...in return for your son. Or I kill you all as I had originally intended."

Laufey hesitated. There was nothing to do to save his son but to give him away. Very slowly, but steadily, he handed Loki to Odin. The moment Loki saw Odin's face, he stopped his whimpering and started to coo. Laufey felt his heart wrench. "Please take care of him."

Odin raised his head from the baby and looked to Laufey with disdain. "Loki will be raised as my son; a prince of Asgard, and nothing else." With not another word said he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, his guards following.

As soon as they were gone from his sight, Laufey fell to his knees in mourning. _A Prince of Asgard._

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**A/N: REVIEW! Writing this was stressing and I have three other long fanfictions to work on. So if I don't get enough reviews, I'm afraid this fanfiction will be nothing more than a waste of our time. REVIEW!**

**Got nothing to say in a review? Answer this question: Should Frigga be as evil as Odin? Odin _is_ evil, guys. Don't be tricked by the promise. "Prince of Asgard", hah!**


	2. Four and Six

**Time for excuses… It's been too long for no second chapter. Oh dear. Um… Sorry? For many months (all of them, in fact) I've been trying to write stuff for this and finding that it won't work! But I am relatively happy about this. As an "I'm sorry!" gift… If you have a request for a Kid!(insert anyone from Avengers or Thor) fic, leave it in a review. I'll pick a favorite and write it. The gift was supposed to be an uber long chapter, but I hit the end of this one with a thud…**

**To:**

**_Guest, rogueXmagneto, Haruko-Mizumi, GuysGirl112, xXxDragonxPheonixXx, TheRedDragonEnforcer4, Ally, The Phantom of the Labyrinth,_**** and ****_duhorcommonsense,_**** thank you so much for reviewing so positively. I know I've already thanked you. But for most, that was ages ago. Thanks for reading and reviewing in the beginning, and I hope you continue to do so.**

**For those who said they were hooked… *breaks down sobbing* ****_I'm so sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry…_**

**Remember, I said that I'm relatively happy about this. I'm really… not as happy as I say I am. PLEASE tell me what you think.**

**Words: 2,269**

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Time passed slowly after Odin left Jotunheim at the end of the battle. All in one night, the frozen land was thrown into a time of mourning, rebuilding, and new lives – even for those unwilling to let go of the old ones. So many were unfortunately caught between memories of life before the war, horrors and panics of the battle which wiped out over a third of their people, and the broken lives that everyone now possessed – or tried to grasp, but couldn't bring themselves to care when it slipped through their fingers.

Laufey was one of those people, but he was also King; there was no time or opportunity for him to ever fully relinquish his hold on Life, or sink to far into his own mind to no longer process the light of morning coming through the shattered windows of his collapsed palace day after day, week after week, year after year. One thing – or person, we should say - he did manage to almost entirely let go of was Loki.

It had been five years since his child had been sacrificed in order to be saved. It had taken a few months to push his loss away just enough to get a handle on what was left of his kingdom; it had taken a couple of years to finally feel almost whole again; it had taken five years to come to terms with what had happened and that both Loki and his mother were no longer his, but he would never forget them. Maybe he would completely let go of their memories one day, but never their existence.

Hours after Odin and his thunderous army had disappeared, Laufey still rested on his knees, his strong body weak and large figure curled in on itself so far that he looked to be almost the same size as a large human. His arms still felt a thousand pounds lighter since he had last held his small child; they were excruciatingly empty. Finally, though, he was able to rise and collect the able - bodied surviving frost giants he could find to begin separating the dead soldiers from the living, the still breathing child from his empty mother's arms; the young lovers' whose bodies were found deep in the back of a now demolished temple where they were hiding.

Five years later the Jotuns had resigned themselves to their new lives of palaces which would never be restored to the magnificence they once were, a lack of safety that had been long since there, and a king who had lost a great amount of himself in a struggle to keep his kingdom.

Loki was nearing five years old (though he didn't know that himself), but still looked like he was only just four, at best. He wasn't sure why, when Thor (his older brother of sorts) was so big and tall and wide… but not in the bad way! Just – different than Loki; better. He knew that he wasn't born as his mother and father's son – he'd known that for as long as he could remember.

He didn't know who his real parents were, but Thor said that they were dead, and if they weren't, he'd never find them. But then someone else said that he would; he'd just have to look for a short couple with near white skin and black hair and that they'd stand out easily, just like he did. Thor burst out laughing, and since Loki hadn't really understood what was said, he laughed too, albeit shakily and much more quiet. Later he had asked his mother what the boy had meant, and she just smiled. He didn't realize until much later that it was a sad one. She said Fandral was just being odd and even she wasn't sure why he would say something like that.

Neither did he, but he didn't want to openly question it; that would make him look stupid because Thor _obviously_ got it and he had pretended to too. So he soon left it and moved on. But he certainly didn't forget because jokes like that kept going. More and more were made, everyone funnier than the last – except to Loki who still didn't get them… until the words changed.

Instead of dark hair, in was different hair; instead of white skin, it was different skin. Instead of suspiciously good smiles like at first, there were sneers and raised eyebrows or narrowed eyes. _Then _Loki understood. When the people around him started to use more hurtful words, he wasn't sure why they were saying them, but he knew he didn't like it, and he wasn't supposed to. These jokes weren't for his benefit, like he used to think; they probably never were.

Almost two years later, when he heard "odd" and "_embarrassingly_ different" in the same sentence, coming from Thor, he completely understood the situation. He stopped pretending to find the situations or comment amusing, or pretending not to hear them.

He dropped the cup he was drinking from (more like threw it, if you ask his companions) and ran for the door, and away from his brother and his friends. It didn't take long to reach his own private rooms at the speed he was going, knocking into servants, pushing past or between couples… He just needed to be _alone._

In his room, he shot to the full – length mirror in the corner and looked at himself. They were right. His hair wasn't just black, it was _different_ black. His skin wasn't _too _pale to him, but he could see why it was to everyone else. He was shorter than the rest of the children, but Mother said that would change in time. What she didn't say would change was his entire stature. She actually said it was "very likely" that he would stay thinner and "more lean" than everyone else.

Loki wasn't sure what "lean" meant, but he knew it was _different_. _Different. Different! Different! Different!_ It was the same word Loki kept shouting to himself in his head. He smeared thick tears back from his eyes with his palms and squeezed his eyes shut when he began shaking with sobs. He wrapped his arms around himself in a pitiful attempt at self – comfort, and held even tighter when he heard his door open and close behind him.

There was a soft swish of quick – moving silk on the floor, and in just a few moments he was being pulled down by his shoulders to the floor to rest in his mother's arms, curling into her body, and holding onto her hair and the side of her dress's collar with his left hand and grabbing hugging her waist with his right arm. He melted into her embrace as she rocked from side to side and shushed him, but he couldn't calm down. There was no time to breathe out, only in. Sharp inhales and brief, shaky exhales racked his body.

"How-" A large inhale, and he struggled to hold his breath and let it go slowly as his mother softly counted. "H-h-h- ow did you know to come here?" He stopped to inhale again, and finished the sentence without exhaling, pronouncing the 'ow' loudly and full of breath. "How do you _always know to come here?"_

"Loki, peace," Frigga whispered in a successful attempt to quiet her son. "I've told you before, Dear. I am your mother; I know when you need me." She pulled him closer and tucked his head under her chin. Resting against her chest, Loki closed his eyes and focused on breathing through his open mouth. When he opened his eyes again, though, he was faced the mirror; his own reflection.

Everything that made him hate himself stared pack at him with pitiful and tear – filled eyes. He would have turned away if he hadn't seen his mother too. She had her left hand held around his head, with its arm supporting his back. Her right arm was circling his waist and its had was resting below his shoulder blades, its finger dancing slowly in small circles. Her legs were folded to the side, and her face–.

He bit his lip when he saw it. Her mouth was held in a stiff line, and her forehead was creased with frustration and worry. And her eyes! Guilt drowned the color out of them, and anger lit a flame. Helplessness washed over the fires to wet them, and all of those emotions mixed into a determination one did not know what to do with. One helpless tear slipped from its barrier and fell to Loki's hair. He pretended not to notice; it was not for his eyes to see, but it was for him, and that was all he needed to know.

He had calmed for the most part; only ever few seconds did his breathing shake. His eyes stung and his face was blotchy, but he was too tired to pay much attention. Just when he thought he might slip off in his mother's arms, she spoke. "Now... What was this all about?"

Loki pulled back slightly to see her eyes, his hands moving to her forearms. "You mean you don't know?"

"I know that I went searching for you when I felt your grief. I knew you had been sitting with your friends, so I went there. The only thing Thor could do was complain that you threw your cider at him."

"It only splashed," Loki excused, eyes downcast. "I didn't mean to."

"I know, my little one. But you had to have been angry to have dropped your cup."

Loki ducked his head. "I wasn't mad. I was just… hurt."

Frigga slipped a few fingers under his chin and raised it so that she could kiss his forehead. "What did they say?"

"It –" Loki bit his lip and took a deep breath. "It doesn't really matter. I mean… It _did_, but now I feel better about it."

"All the same, I would like to know what happened.

"Thor called me odd, and em- _embarr'ssangly _different." At the look on Frigga's face (one of what was close to anger), he quickened his speech. "And I know that he's called me things lke that before, but this time it was more than a jest. He – he meant it, Mother. He really did, and I…" He couldn't help it. He started crying again, and wrapped his arms tight around Frigga's nech as she did the same to his small waist, now on her knees. "I was hurt, Mama. I didn't think they meant it before. I didn't know they thought it was a bad thing!"

"Ssshh, Loki, I know. I know, Loki; you don't need to talk. You just need to listen to me. Are you a good child?" Loki nodded. "Are you mean because it's fun to hurt people?"

"Sometimes…"

"Everyone is 'sometimes'. Some people are _often._ You, my son, are a very sweet and good boy. Right now, that's all that matters, and looking a certain way doesn't change who you are. Thor and his friends saying the way you look is a bad thing doesn't make it that way. You know that, right?"

Loki nodded. "But still… I wish I was like them."

"Oh, but where would my little Loki be?" Frigga smiled. "I would have no one to read books with, or walk in the garden next to. I would be so lonely without you." She gave him a tight squeeze before kissing his cheek and pulling away. "Trust me… If there's one thing Asgard _doesn't need,_ it's another big man trying to break a stone wall with his head."

Loki giggled. "Thor doesn't do _that!"_ He took the hand his mother offered him when she stood.

"Not yet, Little One. But soon he will." Loki rested his head on his mother's arm as they walked together out of the room and smiled at the endearment solely because that was all it was.

Later in the evening, Odin approached Frigga while she watched Loki trying to sword fight with Thor from a distance. "Why do you look after him so?"

Something inside her chest shook with cold fury when she hear those words. "I do what every mother does for her child."

"You aren't his mother, Frigga."

"I am. And you are his father."

"He does not belong to us."

"He belonged here as soon as you stole him!" She turned to face her husband, but backed away as well.

"I stole nothing! Laufey wanted peace and offered his bastard child as an offering, as he would to one of the 'higher beings' he follows. I took it, and the Frost Giant cowered away to lick his wounds."

"That's not the story you told me six years ago, when you were flaunting your victory, and showing me your reward."

"He took my child, and gave me his. I was merciful in letting the boy survive." Odin turned and made his way for the door."

"Why did you make him different?" Frigga stood behind him, hands clasped in front of her, eyes downcast, and voice soft. "It brings him so much pain."

"I did not change Loki's stature at all. If he were to hold the Casket of Ancient Winters, or touch one of his kind, the only thing that would change would be the color of his skin and eyes, and his markings would reappear. As for the fare skin… it is as I said before. He does not belong to us. Why make it look like he does?"

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**A/N: And that's that! I forgot how easy it was to slip back into writing as a kid! I don't know if you guys notice, but my writing style changes from when I'm writing adults to when I'm writing small children! Is this a good or a bad thing? I'm not sure. ^ _ ^ If you don't get what I'm saying, sample A Perfectly Normal Human Family.**

**You dudes are lucky. I just lost a ****_whole lot _****of my writing. Thankfully, this story was in a different folder.**

**Same as last time. If you don't know what to say in a review, _tell me what you thought! _*coughs* I really don't like this much. No. I mean yes, but this too: tell me if Sif should be likeable in this. It sounds like most people in this fandom hate her (at least last time I was around here) but hey! What are AUs for? I could make her likeable.  
**


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